When it Rains
by tmntfan4eva
Summary: "Why me?" There had been a reason Skips picked Mordecai. He knew that even if it was his fault, Benson wouldn't be half as harsh on him as Rigby. And Mordecai would handle the backlash much better. - Ever wonder how Benson got out of the closet in 'The Unicorns Have Got to Go? This is my take on it. A 'sort of canon' attempted insert. P.S. Ignore the corny and irrelevant title.


**I wrote this over a year ago. I think it was sometime around the airing of Stick Hockey and Cool Bikes. Yeah, basically forever ago. So the quality, if you read my other stories, is probably far below them. I still think it's pretty good though. And t****he reason I haven't uploaded this over all that time is because it just felt weird. I don't know. I guess I'm afraid I'll be judged or something. Today I was just like 'screw it' and uploaded it anyway. Also, a head canon or two are probably in there.**

**This is my first and probably last Mordeson story. It is friendship though, not romantic. ****Kind of a 'let's see what we can fit into canon and have it be Mordeson'. **I have other ideas with the same 'try to be canon' intention, but meh. I need to work on original stories and the other handful of unfinished stories on this site. *cough* Drowning *cough* Yeah, sorry to any Drowning fans reading this. Tmnt has been severely disappointing me with it's wonky airing schedule. I kind of rage quit it for a while.

Rigby had apologized to him, and he was happy. He even smiled faintly despite the situation. Rigby never apologized. It just wasn't like him. Although he had to admit he felt a little bad that he had called Rigby a baby after he spilled his emotions. But that wasn't what was important right now. Right now they needed to get rid of those damn unicorns!

As they ran to find Skips and proceeded to tell him the story of their predicament, Rigby held his arm all the while. It wasn't fair. First he had to apologize for something he didn't even start, and then Mordecai went and punched him. He was so unfair, using his size and strength against him like that. Sometimes he wished he didn't care so much for Mordecai.

"Hmm…" Skips nodded as he sat up from his workout equipment. "Yeah, those pests can be a real problem. They're like insects."

"Then…what do we do?" Rigby tentatively asked. He knew that Mordecai still blamed him for this, even though it wasn't his fault. So he was somehow afraid of something he wasn't really sure of. Perhaps it was getting blamed by others too.

"There's one thing unicorns never say no to." He grabbed a towel and wiped his face before ending the dramatic pause. "Drag racing."

Mordecai and Rigby made a face. "Drag racing?" They said in unison. "What is so special about that?" Mordecai pressed. It didn't make sense to him.

Skips shrugged. "Dunno. But it doesn't really matter." He hopped to his feet. "Now, we have to get ready for this thing, so…" He paused a moment to contemplate the best positions for them and then spoke again. "Rigby, you go rile up the unicorns and get them to agree to a race, I'll go prepare the course, and Mordecai, you go untie Benson."

Mordecai was so startled that he nearly fell over. "W-What!?" He cried, eyes bulging out of his head and heart skipping a beat.

Rigby was beyond pleased. He jumped into the air and did a fist pump. "Yeee-ah!" He exclaimed, adding a flip to his jump he was so ecstatic.

"Why me!?" Mordecai whined for one of those rare times. He was utterly in despair. It didn't help his mood that Rigby was over there doing cheers. He even rounded on him, eyes ablaze. "He should be the one to deal with Benson!" Mordecai pointed an accusing finger at his friend. "It's his fault the unicorns crashed the place!"

Rigby made sure to back up a space before he dared make a comeback of any kind. He didn't quite feel safe being within range of Mordecai's punches. "Nu-uh!" He shook his head fervently, mouth curved in a smug smirk. "This was **your** fault!" He reminded for the umpteenth time. "You sprayed that stupid cologne!"

Mordecai's body trembled in fury and he took a step forward as if to go after Rigby.

"Enough!" Skips yelled, his voice harsh and commanding. No one dared defy him in these moments. Mordecai and Rigby were no exception. They started and swiftly turned back to face him, lips tightly shut. "Now." Skips tone was softer. "We don't have time to argue. Do what you're told or we might never have another day of peace."

Mordecai felt that Skips was being melodramatic, but who was he to call him out on it? Instead he sighed heavily, body slumping noticeably. "Fine." He growled through clenched teeth. "You win."

Rigby breathed a sigh of relief, this time he made sure it was not audible to anyone but him. He didn't need Mordecai hating him any more than he already did. "Well…" Rigby took small steps backward as if waiting for something. "I'm gonna go do that then."

Mordecai knew what Rigby wanted and almost wished he didn't have to give it to him. Unfortunately they both were headed to the house, so he had to go with the little guy. "Yeah, we'll do our part." He grumbled, turning to leave and knowing all the while there was no way this would end well for him.

Rigby perked at the sign that Mordecai couldn't be too mad since he was basically telling him he could walk with him. "See ya Skips!" Rigby called over his shoulder as he scampered to catch up to Mordecai.

Skips nodded faintly, hurrying off to do his part of their plan. There had been a reason he picked Mordecai like that. He knew that even if it was his fault, Benson wouldn't be half as harsh on him as Rigby. Not only that, but Mordecai would handle the backlash much better. Rigby would no doubt do something stupid in response to Benson's rage. It was a simple fact.

Mordecai dragged his feet as he trudged up the stairs that would lead him into the lair of the stupid asses. He hated those unicorns. They were so stupid. He knew how to get rid of unicorns. He smirked almost evilly.

"Mordecai!" Rigby called, scurrying in front of his friend. "Wait!"

Mordecai did as he asked, an impatient scowl set on his face. "What?" He crossed his arm firmly over his chest.

Rigby wanted to reprimand him for still acting so irritated. It wasn't that bad. Benson couldn't be too pissed. But even as he thought it, he wanted to burst out laughing at the absurdity. "Look, I'll go first. That way you can sneak by them without problems." He offered, smiling as best as he could. He really didn't want Mordecai to be mad at him.

Mordecai saw the misery in Rigby's eyes and sighed heavily in defeat. "Look, dude, stop being so mopey. I'm not really mad at you. I just…" He shook his head. "Whatever. Just do what you have to do and do it right. We can't mess up."

Rigby's smile widened and a certain life sparked in his eyes. "Alright man." He nodded, spinning around and hurrying into the house. He instantly went to calling the unicorns every name he could think of that they would take offence to. And they reacted perfectly.

Mordecai waited until the sound of angry voices had started to spill out from the house. He knew then that the unicorns would be far to occupied to notice him. And he was right. He slipped easily through the main room and up the stairs where it was absolutely empty. The only trace that others had been here was the debris scattered across the halls.

Mordecai paused as he reached the top of the stairs. He frowned deeply and thought hard. Which was the place most likely to be the room Benson was in? Rigby had said in his retelling of the story to Skips he was in a closet, but not which one. He sighed heavily. Rigby managed to pain him even indirectly. How did he manage it? Poor guy.

Mordecai nearly laughed as he imagined Rigby's pitiful expression in response to his chastising. But he quickly shook the amusement away. If Benson really was in a closet, then he was probably in real turmoil. Those things could get pretty hot, pretty quick. He knew because Rigby had managed to lock them in a closet before when they were younger. Maybe these closets were different, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Mordecai then swiftly made his choice. He went for his and Rigby's room. He flung the door open without thinking and it resounded with a loud bang. He shoved it so hard it nearly slammed back into him too.

Instantly he heard a faint knocking noise coming from the other side of the room. He cocked his head and frowned deeply. What was that? Benson banging around in the closet? He shrugged and continued over to the closet, hoping he picked right.

Upon opening the door it was revealed that Benson was indeed in this closet. Mordecai didn't see him immediately because he had expected him on the floor and his eyes went there first. It surprised him as he noticed something wiggling higher up.

Benson was hanging from a hook on the door and trying with all his might to somehow get himself down without the use of any of his limbs. His face was red, not dark like when he was mad, but a dark that could be associated with utter exhaustion and helpless overheating. The heat issue was further supported by the fact he was dripping with sweat. Mordecai had never seen him so worn.

Mordecai froze for a moment as he looked at him. His eyes caught the unnatural amount of water collected around his eyes. Could it be…was Benson…crying? Mordecai made a face. No…it was probably just the sweat. Either way, he wasn't about to mention it. He was going to be in enough trouble with Benson without threatening his image.

Muffled sounds came from behind the cloth gagging Benson and Mordecai snapped out of it. What was he doing? Benson was miserable! He had to get him down! Mordecai lifted Benson from the hook and carried his squirming body over to his bed. He wanted to yell at him to stop writhing, but he held his tongue. He had to think of what it was like to be in his position right now – desperate and angry.

Mordecai first removed the cloth from Benson's mouth, knowing that would be the easy start. Honestly he wasn't sure if he could even untie ropes like these without a knife or something. Those unicorns were such pains in the ass.

Mordecai scanned what was visible of the rope without moving Benson. He didn't feel right disturbing him too suddenly. His body looked like it ached too. "Benson, man, are you alright?" He asked tentatively. He wasn't really afraid of Benson, but...he did have a bad temper sometimes.

Benson reacted exactly how he knew he would. His fatigued red color burned an angry dark red. "Am I alright!?" He screamed. "Do I **look **alright to you!?" His eyes flared and his voice range with contempt. "I was just holed up in your disgusting closet! How could I be alright!?" He might have sprang up in a sitting position, but he was still tied up.

Mordecai cringed slightly at his harsh words, but he did not cower in blatant fear nor did he lash out like Rigby might have. "Dude, relax." He tried to soothe instead. He even offered a small smile. "I know you must be miserable. You look it. That's why I came to get you."

"NO! I won't relax!" He snarled. "You don't know anything! You don't know what it was like in that damn closet! You don't know how suffocating it felt! And you only want something from me! Otherwise you would have left me there!"

A scowl flashed across Mordecai's face. "What?" He growled, trying to keep the anger down. He didn't need to be mad at Benson. Benson was right. It had to have been beyond awful. "Why would I do that?" Mordecai didn't mean to, but he noted that he sounded almost hurt by Benson's words. "You don't deserve to be stuck in there just because I don't need you. You're a person too."

Instead of becoming mellowed by Mordecai's continued patience, he grew more furious still. It frustrated him how he refused to react. He was supposed to get mad, yell back. Then Benson would have a reason to keep yelling. But when Mordecai didn't do what he wanted, it ruined everything. "Shut up and untie me!" He snapped, a faint trace of the previous harshness disappearing. But as a whole the hateful tone remained.

Mordecai's body trembled faintly as he forced himself to remain in control of his anger. Benson was really pushing it though. So he found great pleasure in flipping him over in order to reach the knot in the back. It made him smile slightly as Benson grunted in what Mordecai named pain.

It was taking quite a while and after just a few minutes Benson could not hold his tongue any longer. "What's taking so long!?" He shouted, trying his best to glare at Mordecai from his position. "You act like you've never seen a knot before!"

Mordecai rolled his eyes. "It's not as easy as you think. They did some major twisting with it." He tried to explain, feeling the rebuttal before it hit him.

"I don't care how twisted it is! I want it off and I want it off now!" Mostly he spoke from physical pain at this point. He was still emotionally unstable, but Mordecai had mostly squelched that anger. "GOT IT!?" He just didn't know how else to handle the situation. Anger was what he knew best.

Mordecai's hands clenched tightly around the knot and his fists shook with fury. "You know what Benson." His voice was strained and full of contempt. He was through being nice. He jerked Benson up and turned him around so that their faces were inches apart. "You're right."

Benson stared with blank confusion and trembling fear. He didn't like the blazing look in Mordecai's normally calm eyes. If he could have he would have cowered.

Mordecai chucked Benson across the room without care, eyes void of feeling. "I think I will leave you in the closet after all."

Benson skidded across the floor and landed at the entrance of the closet. He swallowed hard and tried to wriggle himself away from it. No…he couldn't go back in there. He couldn't! He refused! It was too terrible. No…

Mordecai walked toward him, fully intending to put his sorry butt back in there. But only for a minute or two. The prick needed to be taught a lesson, but he didn't need to go into shock. Mordecai saw the pitiful fear in his eyes as he'd told him what he would do. He knew his heart was quaking. "And don't forget this." He swung the gag around teasingly. Was he really being so mean?

Benson's eyes shot open and he was struck with a fear so immense it caused him visible pain. Along with this blow came the added agony of a brief flashback. An image of the unicorns surrounding him flashed before his eyes, evil smirks on their faces and their eyes glinting with malice. He couldn't help but whimper and shut his eyes tight to try and keep any tears at bay.

Mordecai stopped then, sighing softly. What was he doing? Benson was in pain in innumerable ways. He didn't need him taunting him added on to all that. "Benson…" He sighed, dropping the gag as he walked the remaining distance to him. "I didn't mean it."

Benson didn't open his eyes. He tuned Mordecai's voice out and tried to focus on being somewhere, anywhere else! Nothing worked. His body shook with distress and a soft whine passed his lips, betraying his feelings.

Mordecai knelt down and picked Benson up carefully to take him back to his bed. He had to fix this before Rigby came looking for him. He didn't want to look like some kind of monster. "Just…stay there." He said lamely, going back to his closet to try and find something to break the ropes.

By the time Mordecai found what he needed Benson had calmed back down to his state of misery which only lived on the inside. His expression was harsh and without any sign of hurt unless you looked deep in his eyes.

Mordecai frowned as he stared at the useful object. It was odd that there was one in their closet and it made him wonder about Rigby, but he found a knife. He didn't want Benson to see it, so he slunk quietly over to him and quickly cut the rope in one swift move.

Benson knew when his restraints were gone not because he felt free, but because an intense pain ran through his limbs. But he did not let the pain show; he didn't even make a sound.

"There." Mordecai said with obvious bitterness. He practically hated himself for screwing with Benson. "You can go now." Mordecai sank down on the bed.

Benson knew better than to move, but he did it anyway. The instant he sat up he was hit with a wave of pain so intense he couldn't help but cry out and fall back flat on the bed. That only made it hurt more.

Mordecai started. "Benson! What's wrong?" He nearly lifted him up to check him, stopping as he imagined the reaction he'd get. _What are you doing!? Don't touch me! You're only making it worse! _Mordecai frowned and sat back up. He wasn't in the mood for that.

Benson almost snapped at him, stopping only as he thought that doing so would hurt him more. "Nothing." He grumbled instead, trying to remain as still as possible. It hurt so bad. His body had become so stiff it was actually painful to move.

Mordecai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right." He mouthed under his breath.

Benson's eyes caught fire despite his efforts. "What? Are you pretending to know what I feel?" His voice was threatening, but low.

Mordecai didn't answer; he proved his point by barely touching Benson. "See?" He smirked as Benson cried in pain. "Something is wrong. I'm not stupid."

Benson sighed heavily, working against the pain to sit up. "Just go." He said through a shut mouth. "I want to be alone." He turned his head away to try and hide his action of wiping at his eyes.

Mordecai frowned deeply. "This is my room, dude. You can go to your office and be alone, but I'm not going to leave you alone while you're here."

"Mordecai." He half whined, not wanting to seem weak in his efforts. He couldn't admit it…none of it. Everything he'd felt, the pain he had to bear now just to stay sitting, he just couldn't admit it.

"No." Mordecai quickly answered.

"Mordecai…"

Mordecai shook his head.

Benson's body shook with rage. "Mordecai!" He screamed. But his body language betrayed his true emotions. His eyes brimmed with tears, his body quaked, and his face was extremely worn with despair. "I can't move!" He shrieked, his tone more hurt than anything despite the volume. "I can't go anywhere else right now! Ok!?" He shook his head slowly, his lip trembling the slightest bit. "Just sitting here is hard enough. And…and…even if I could…I-I…couldn't bear it!"

Mordecai was startled by how easily his anger had given way to utter despair and heartache. Once again he felt beyond horrible. But at least now it was not his own fault. "Benson…" He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't good with comforting people, never had been and never would be. Only Rigby did he dare console in the most depressing times and then only if Rigby said he needed him. He never acted first.

Benson remembered how the unicorns had chased him all the way to his office in the back and cornered him. They had been rough as they held him down and bent his limbs in awkward ways to get the one rope around them all. As he shuddered violently at the horrid thought, a tear was shook free to fall down his face.

"Are you…" Mordecai turned words around in his head to find the best way to say this to Benson. It really didn't need to be thought about, but Mordecai didn't want to make another mistake. "Are you...alright?"

Benson shook his head miserably. "No…" He finally admitted, a sob of the sorts escaping.

Mordecai felt like he might cry himself Benson looked so pitiful. Maybe that's why he said what he did next, "If it'll make you feel better…" He twisted his hands in nervousness and looked anywhere but at Benson. "…then…you can tell me about it."

Benson didn't jump for joy, but the smallest of smiles crept up on his tortured face. There was a long stretch of silence even once permission was given and accepted, but finally Benson spoke, his voice soft and miserable. "I'd come to yell at you…" He almost laughed at the thought now. "You weren't supposed to have parties. And I'm the boss, so I came in without a second thought." He swallowed hard. "They immediately saw me and turned on me. I didn't know what they'd do…so I started to yell at them too." He grimaced and shut his eyes tight.

Mordecai smiled in sympathy, but did not dare interrupt.

"I only stopped as one brought out a rope." He shook his head in self-loathing. "I was so stupid!" His voice was weak and shrill as he struggled not to cry, the emotion instead seeping from his eyes to his voice. "And then they hunted me….hunted me down like dogs. They…they chased me to my office. And they cornered me." He had to break off again as he came to the worst part.

Mordecai scooted closer without knowing why. He just felt that he should.

Benson moved almost as unconsciously as Mordecai, leaning over on his shoulder. "They forced me down on the ground and started to tie me up. I screamed through it all…even as they hit me…I screamed as long and loud as possible, but-" His voice caught in his throat and the tears finally fell from his eyes in a stream. "But it-it didn't matter." He choked out. "No one c-came…no one cared…and-and they gagged me and threw me away…"

Mordecai tentatively brought his arm up and wrapped it around Benson's shoulder. With Rigby this worked. He just hoped Benson would be cooperative and not have a fit.

Benson was amazingly compliant. He buried his head in Mordecai's chest and did not think twice about it. He was so tired of being mean and strong right now, he was absolutely sick of it.

Mordecai leaned his head down some to say what he wanted. "You're wrong. People care." He insisted, rubbing Benson's shoulder slightly in an attempt to soothe. "Just because they didn't come, doesn't mean they would throw you in the lion's den for fun. It just means they weren't there….but…if they could have been, they would have been right there." Once he reached the end he realized he was talking about himself.

Benson was comforted by Mordecai's words and it moved him to give caring words of his own. "I-I'm sorry…" He mumbled barely audibly. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Mordecai started. "What?" He shivered faintly then, the cool tears chilling him. But he wouldn't say so, he wouldn't deny Benson this.

Benson sniffled like a child. "For yelling…" He added on to his previous sentence.

Mordecai sighed. "Whatever, man. It's nothing." He shrugged. "Everybody needs to yell sometimes." Although Benson did it noticeably more than others.

Benson smiled halfheartedly. "I'm just glad you didn't leave me, or…" He shuddered violently. "…put me back." He whispered the words as if they were a curse.

Mordecai was hit with immense guilt. "Benson, I shouldn't have done that." He sighed miserably. "I mean…you were already upset. I just made it worse."

Benson shook his head faintly. "No…" He meant to say more, but the words died somewhere in the thought process. Instead he sank into the imperfect silence of sobbing.

"Dude, please don't cry." Mordecai half begged. Not only was it uncomfortable to see his boss this way, but it genuinely made him sad. He didn't want to be sad. "We're getting rid of the unicorns, alright?" He had just remembered that. He wondered if Rigby was done now and Skips as well. He wondered vaguely if he was the last one…

Benson didn't respond to Mordecai's words. Instead he started talking about something entirely different. "Do you know what it's like to be claustrophobic?"

Mordecai nearly laughed at the odd question. "No…"

Benson leaned up off of Mordecai, his head just barely resting on his shoulder. "I do." He said grimly. "And in that closet…I wanted to die."

Mordecai blanched and nearly fell over despite the fact he was sitting. "W-What?" Benson was claustrophobic? No way. Then it really was torture in there. Not only was his body constrained, his limbs twisted at odd angles, the temperature an unbearable level, the darkness encroaching, but he was terrified of the small space. Wanting to die… "But…" He didn't know how to finish the sentence.

He shook his head and wiped his eyes, finding there was no pain in the arm movement. It seemed his body was getting back to normal. Thank God. "But it doesn't matter." He shrugged, slipping down to the floor.

"Benson…" Mordecai started to say, stopping and choosing a different route instead. "I just hope you'll be alright."

Benson smiled with only faint traces of pain in his face. "I will." His confidence wavered slightly and he grimaced in uncertainty.

Mordecai read him instantly and got up to stand next to him. "But if you aren't," Mordecai put an arm around Benson's shoulder and gently pulled him close in a sort of hug. "then you can always talk to me. Ok, dude?" He smiled.

Benson stared with uncertainty for a moment, but he soon saw the sincerity in Mordecai's offer and smiled back. "Yeah…it's good to know."

**Well, what do you think? It might be ooc, I don't know. Personally I love rereading it when I'm in a Mordeson mood so it can't be too terrible. But that's just my opinion. Constructive criticism is much appreciated(but preferably not on the style since my style is no longer like this. More so on the characters)! Please review!**


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